AFRICOM Looking to Assist Libyan Military

In rebuilding the Libyan military after the revolution, AFRICOM is taking the lead on planning to assist and developing ways to cooperate.

The United States is in discussions with Libya over ways to help rebuild the country’s military, which the U.S. military considers essential to unify the country and bring rival militias under national control.

“We’re looking for ways in which we can be helpful,” said Army Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command. “They have to find some way to form a national army.”

In an interview in Washington, Ham said the discussions had not reached the level of agreeing to specific cooperation. If the countries do establish a relationship, it would not be the scale of U.S. efforts to rebuild the militaries of Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We’d like, for example, to begin having Libyan officers come to U.S. staff colleges,” he said, adding that the United States could also sell Libya equipment and offer training.

By: Brant